Romance by Wendy Vella author of The Reluctant Countess

Posted January 14, 2013 by Karen in Guest Post / 0 Comments

We are privilege to welcome new author Wendy Vella, writer of The Reluctant Countess A Loveswept Historical Romance. This is her books RELEASE DAY! CONGRATULATIONS.

20130111-160005.jpgThe romance genre as a whole has been through a massive transformation over the years, from heroes who were arrogant and dominant and heroines who were weak and subdued to the characters we have today, flawed with very real issues and circumstances. Obviously we still have the obligatory happy ending but there are some sensational writers out there who make the journey there varied with endless twists and turns.

When I decided to write it was a simple choice for me to write both Regency and Romance as I’d already had a love of both for years. I read my first Regency at 10 years of age, Georgette Heyer ‘These Old Shades,’ and I was smitten from the first page. I love the secrets and nuances, the scandals and dramas. It was a time that lent itself to romance and intrigue. I’ve never experienced it first hand, nor has anyone else alive today; therefore you get a certain amount of licence when you write about that time. I always make sure that any events or characters I use are accurate, however you can build a world that is as big or small as your imagination will allow. Imagine a ballroom filled with hundreds of elegantly dressed people all talking and dancing, their objective to see or be seen, or a dawn appointment with two terrified men walking onto a mist shrouded field unsure if they will leave alive.

Society had rules of etiquette for pretty much everything and I would have been disgraced and hounded out of London at my first ball for breaking at least a dozen of them! Can you imagine trying to remember to let men always walk up the stairs before you and never wear pearls in the morning? If a lady took off her hat she was supposed to hold it so people couldn’t see the lining as this was unseemly.

Of course the Regency Era was also a time of great change in the Untied Kingdom. The Prince Regent, who ruled when his father was declared unfit, and his peers were excessive in their decadent behaviour, a direct contrast to the poor who struggled to find enough food to eat. Some even feared there would be an uprising along the same lines as the French Revolution.

There was so much food for writing during this time and before starting the The Reluctant Countess I spent some time researching facts that I thought I would need. Usually my first port of call is the internet; there are so many sites where people have imparted their knowledge and then libraries where librarians are eager to help with whatever you need. As I read mainly in this time period I’m pretty clued up on what happens but there is always more to learn. My main problem with research is I get lost in it and forget to write. I thought I needed a shop in London for a scene in my book, and in my research I came across the Cow Keepers Shop in Golden Lane. I was instantly enthralled, I’m not kidding when I tell you that they kept the cows underneath in well-ventilated stalls and people and milk-maids would come and buy their milk from there. The proprietor and his family lived above. Gives an entire new meaning to the phrase, ‘fresh to you daily’!

There are some sensational historical writers out there who manage to make each of their books as entertaining as the last; Eloisa James, Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas and Catherine Coulter, just to name a few. Historical romances are fun, enlightening, sensual and humorous, however if you want serious there are plenty of those too.
I read a lot of different genres, because a great story teller can make anything a wonderful read to my mind, however my love is Regency and I have so many books backed up to read my husband has told me he’ll reintroduce himself to me in a couple of months!

About the Author

Wendy Vella is a lover of all things romantic. She started reading her first Georgette Heyer book at a young age and instantly fell in love with the Regency era. Writing is something she has always found time for; she penned her first novel at eighteen though she says it will never make an appearance further than the closet in which it currently resides.

After having her two children Wendy then joined RWNZ and started honing her chosen craft by entering competitions with some success and attending conferences. Her Clendon and Readers Choice award-winning historical romance The Reluctant Countess will debut in Jan 2013 with Random House in their Loveswept line.

She has an addiction to reading and loves a wide range of genres while her first love will always be historical. She relishes novels steeped in Romance and excitement with feisty heroines and delicious heroes, especially when they are set amongst the treacherous waters of London society.
Wendy is a sucker for a happy ending having secured her own. She has been married to her own dark brooding hero for 28 years and shares her home with two wonderful children, two dogs and anyone else who happens to be visiting at the time. Born and raised in a rural area in the North Island of New Zealand, Wendy loves the beaches and lush green rolling hills of her homeland and is proud to call herself a very patriotic Kiwi!

Wendy’s novel The Reluctant Countess A Loveswept Historical Romance Releases Today. 20130111-161226.jpg

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